Collins McArdle Family Bible

Collins McArdle

The earliest birth in the bible is Collins McArdle. Collins parents who are my direct ancestors seem to be missing, making me think this is Collins (or his descendants) Bible.

Family Bibles

Family Bibles are a great place to find out information about Births, Deaths, and Marriages. The family bible used to be the favorite place to record major events in any family. This shows scans from the McArdle Family Bible (of the Collins McArdle) branch of the family. Lots of great information is included! I have the family Bible on my other side form the Corbly part of the family (Dad’s Side), but these are from my mother’s side. My mother is interesting in tracking down information about her grandmother especially. Hattie Jane Mahaffey – wife of Elmer McArdle.

The History

Collins McArdle – March 20, 1833, the first birth recorded was my 3rd great uncle and born in Virginia. His parents were Nancy Morgan and John McArdle. His brother Uriah was my 2nd great grandfather. Uriah was killed from injuries he received saving his grandchild from a run away oxen team. (The Daily Herald June 14, 1912). The McArdle Bible shown was from the Collins McArdle branch of the family, born in Virginia – moved to Illinois, and then moved on to Kansas. Even being another branch of the tree, these Bible pages are still interesting!

Relating to My Branch

Collins McArdle was only one year in age difference from Uriah. I would assume this would have made them close brothers. My father has a lot of brothers and sisters and growing up in a small house, older siblings had to move out as new siblings were born. My dad actually has a nephew the same age as he is! As I follow Collins through the census in Virginia and Illinois Uriah is nearby throughout Collins Virginia and Illinois years. By the 1860 census, Collins has married and that is the beginning of the split. In the 1870 census, Collins can be found in Kansas, where he remained the rest of his life. Uriah, on the other hand stayed in Illinois in the same area that the family had relocated to from Virginia.

1850 Illinois Census with John McArdle that includes Collins McArdle and Uriah McArdle

1850 Census John McArdle Family (Page 2)

1860 Census – Collins McArdle Family – Illinois

Interestingly enough in the Kansas Census Electra McArdle Wygle is also listed as living with her husband Jacob Wygle and children near Collins McArdle. Electra also being a sibling of my 2nd great grandfather Uriah. Wygles have shown up on DNA results on the different bureaus. The interesting thing is that she is hard to find in the census records as Electra McArdle. In the 1850 Census she had already aged out of the household…. and any census before 1850 only would list the head of the household. Electra is listed as Lectra McArdle marrying Jacob Wygle on 15 Jun 1848 in Iowa, so my thought is that Electra married Jacob Wygle and moved out west, ending up in Kansas. As time went on a message might have been sent to her younger brothers that land was available in Kansas and to come join the land grab.

Most of Kansas became permanently part of the United States in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. When the area was opened to settlement by the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 it became a battlefield that helped cause the American Civil War. Settlers from North and South came in order to vote slavery down or up. The free state element prevailed.

According to records, scores of settlers came to Kansas after the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854. The timing does work. I’m not sure which side of the debate this part of the family would have been on, but it does seem that they may have moved to Kansas to join the rush. Of course this is all conjecture… but, it’s interesting to think of the reasons that they may have moved out west, leaving friends and family at the time.